Can you think of anyone who would argue against the obvious fact that Nicolas Tesla was a brilliant man? During the course of his lifetime, the Serbian-American engineer and physicist made meaningful breakthroughs and created useful things. For example, Tesla invented the first alternating current, after which he created technology to generate and transmit alternating currents.

While it’s irrefutable that Tesla was a genius, it’s equally obvious the man was a visionary. As early as 1926, Tesla predicted that people would be able to communicate with each other wirelessly regardless of how far apart they were physically located. He also said, “When wireless is perfectly applied the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain…” and that a person, under those circumstances, would be able to “carry…[a phone] in his vest pocket.”

It’s nearly inconceivable that Tesla was able to foresee such poignant aspects of today’s connected society decades before the Internet was a thing. While Tesla may have foreseen some of the things many people now take for granted as they relate to the Internet and wireless communication, the existence of the Internet of Things may surprise him if he were reincarnated today.

What Is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things, or IoT, started to take shape back in 1990. That’s the year the first device was connected to the Internet. What was that device? A toaster. While that may not seem like much of an accomplishment, it was the first step toward countess devices being connected to the World Wide Web in the years that followed.

Kevin Ashton is credited with naming the Internet of Things before it even formally existed. Ashton came up with the name in 1999, but it wasn’t until 2008 – 2009 that the volume of devices connected to the Internet became bigger than the world’s population.

The Internet of Things is basically a global network of connected devices and people. This Internet-based network is able to collect and share data between devices and people. The IoT exists in both the physical and virtual realms, allowing humans to communicate with each other as well as the machines that are connected to the Internet.

How the IoT Is Used

The driving force behind the IoT is to automate processes with the goal of increasing economic efficiency while simultaneously minimizing human involvement with these processes. With that said, it’s obvious that the IoT is useful on both small and large scales.

On a personal level, the IoT is what makes it possible for you to have a “smart” home that enables you to control devices like your thermostat and door locks remotely. On a broader scale, the Internet of Things is also what supports smart manufacturing and the existence of smart cities.

How the Internet of Things Can Improve Digital Marketing

If you work in online marketing, it’s probably already clear how the IoT can improve your digital marketing plans. With all the data generated by the countless devices connected to the Internet, digital marketers who are capable of capturing and analyzing this information will be able to transform their marketing strategies and produce a greater return on their work.

The IoT can provide digital marketers with real-time, actionable data. Analyzing this data can enable marketers to understand and respond to their target market’s preferences, habits, wants, needs and problems. The insights that digital marketers can get from the IoT can position them to launch their brand far into the future by giving them all the data that’s necessary for them to make the best possible decisions and marketing strategies.

Improved UX and Greater Personalization

The Internet of Things can provide information that will tell you all about the lifestyles of your individual customers. From alarm clocks, to light bulbs, smart speakers, fitness trackers and so much more, you can extract a tremendous amount of data regarding your customers from the IoT. Having access to real-time data will empower you to improve the user experience people have with your brand. It will also enable you to create highly personalized messages.

Just as meaningfully, you’ll be able to share messages like push notifications in real-time, in the context that is currently meaningful to a consumer.

Increased Advertising Opportunities

The Internet of Things enables a digital marketing agency to use more platforms to promote goods and services than ever before. If laundry detergent is one of the products you promote, you can advertise your detergent on someone’s smart washer. Do you handle marketing for an office supply company? You can inform consumers about a sale over their smart speakers.

Put simply, just about any device that’s connected to the IoT gives marketers the chance to engage with consumers. In many cases, the IoT will give you access to people and relevant information about them when they’re at home or at work.

More Precise Product Development

No matter how great your digital marketing strategy might be, it won’t matter if you’re not marketing the products your target audience wants and needs. The IoT gives digital marketers the opportunity to identify how to make the things your company sells even better based on feedback provided by consumers in both words and how they use your organization’s products.

This capability has the potential to shape or re-shape your company’s product line. Being able to provide the precise goods or services that your target audience actually wants and needs will naturally enhance your digital marketing.

Improved Relationships with Customers

The Internet of Things gives marketers the golden opportunity to improve their brand’s relationship with customers. That’s because the IoT can increase the trust that people have in your brand and messaging by enabling you to react to shifts in demand, solve problems, resolve disputes and engage audience members much faster.

Let GoingClear Leverage the IoT for You

When you look through our long list of digital marketing services, you’ll see how well-positioned we are to leverage the Internet of Things for you. We know the IoT is the future of digital marketing. When you partner with us, you’ll quickly see that the future is here.

GoingClear – the partner that can make the future a reality for your digital marketing as early as today.

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